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Akimoto Kazuma
:"The face in the mirror is not what they truly see." - Reversereality Akimoto Kazuma (かずま秋元 True Harmony, Autumn Origin) is a Soul Reaper from the Genseki Project, where he among other selected Soul Reapers are experimented and modified to fulfill their capabilities under the 12th Division's jurisdiction. His Genseki is an Aquamarine Gemstone. He has Huntington's Disease. Appearance He is a rather short boy of average build, and dons a traditional Soul Reaper's garb with a white hood underneath. His purple eyes seem to look tense and wary. Despite his age, he looks rather young and boyish. His black hair is unkempt and drapes neatly in a variety of angles. His boyish face appears hard-lined and soft. In his first appearance, Akimoto's outfit did not have the white hood, but a white thin sleeveless coat that draped down as far as his knees. He found the jacket a hassle to maintain due to its length, and after it was destroyed, Akimoto never bothered to replace it. For his Gigai, he likes to wear graphic tees that pop out, whether it has bold text, scenic landscapes, or pop art. He sports a sleek and slim jacket or parka. He also sports a watch and many wristbands. Since he likes to move, he wears comfy jeans along with running shoes. And in order to differentiate between himself and his twin brother, Akimoto wears a small studded earring on his left ear, while Juro wears one on his right. Personality Prior to The Hollowed Blue Arc, Akimoto's personality was like that of Juro's and wore a cheery smile on his face. He was depicted to be optimistic and carefree. He is also naive, where his lack of common sense and ethics got him in the receiving end of Kishoku's frustration. However, it is later learned that this persona is not entirely Akimoto's, but that of his twin brother's, Juro Kazuma. Since Akimoto was sick and was forbidden from leaving the house when he was young, he would often times mimic Juro's personality in order to trick his parents and leave the household. Akimoto got used to mimicking Juro's personality and mannerisms that he was insecure of his own true personality. Akimoto is truly a grumpy person and is prone to get angry and annoyed at many things, such as children. He realizes that his true self was unacceptable, and instead of silencing himself, he aligned his personality to match that of Juro's. Eventually, Akimoto becomes comfortable with his true self and gradually loses the image of his brother's character to retain his original persona. He is seen comfortably showing his true self to his new teammates, such as Kishoku. Nevertheless, Akimoto Kazuma still retains those quirky characteristics of his brother after the Atonement Arc, but chooses to be less explicit in showing his emotions. In truth, he is quite a very childish and moody individual, but remains easily irritated nonetheless due to him putting so much effort to bottle up his irritation. Despite his irritable nature (mostly stemmed from his frustration of his illness), he is private and prefers not to talk because he tends to frankly speak his mind, which prompted him to hide his personality from his teammates in the first place. When he does talk, he'll share his thoughts and comments of something that is interesting him at the moment. He can also be affectionate, but this affection is misplaced-- he shows affection by eliciting reactions from other people. This implies that he is rough and conniving at heart and secretly enjoys the pranks that Shinme Shokubutsu does (if it does not have to do anything with him). Akimoto is a curious person and can act like a child-adult, especially with flourish and flair as he talks. Not that he won't admit it, but he tries to get closer with others-- in his own 'affectionate' way. He is also an intuitive individual, and can attempt to gauge what other's are thinking and discern what motivates them with near success. This is demonstrated mostly with his bond with Kazuki Mitzumi, where he can find the real thoughts behind Kazuki's actions. It also has led him to have a better understanding on X, Kishoku, and Shinme as well in an intuitive sense. This also makes him naive, for this has allowed him to trust his gut instinct over other things. Since his traumatic memories regarding Renai Iwasaki, Akimoto's actions are mostly driven to increase the guilt he has over that incident so that he can never forget her. By doing so, Akimoto can 'atone' for his cowardice of running away. While he is convinced that this makes him more of a kinder and humble person, it also makes him ignorant of other people's feelings about his own self-destruction-- even Odoruningyō's and Ren's. Due to his poor stamina and illness, Akimoto finds battling to be troublesome, and he has certainly copped out of some fights to let his teammates handle the rest. He is not above overstating the pain of his injuries too, but he has grown to stop his act due to the regret from his past. In the past, Akimoto refused to help Ren and used his own illness as an excuse. Eventually, he learned to dictate his actions with compassion and now considers his teammates as his own friends. According to Odoruningyō, Akimoto is a very prideful person and tends to refuse help from other people. He sees his own illness as a limitation and becomes frustrated when it gets in the way of his actions. She also notes that Akimoto is a hypocrite and lacks integrity since Akimoto would also conveniently views his illness as a excuse so that he can pass off from doing something. His hypocrisy is also apparent when he scolds Kishoku for doing things that hurt herself in the process; however, one may argue that he was also scolding himself. His pride will not admit to his own failures and instead blames it on his illness. But since the incident with Ren, he became humbled somewhat. He still clings to the convenience of putting the blame on his illness, which in turn fuels Odoruningyō's discontent. He does not bode very well with pressure. In battle, his focus increases tremendously as he studies his opponent's movements in order to catch them by surprise. It is a tactic that he feels that is ideal for hunting hollows, but far less than ideal when against a seasoned Soul Reaper of the higher Seats. Akimoto is also shown to be rather sadistic in battle, and if an opponent isn't beaten too quickly, he is willing to prolong the fight and cause as much pain to his target as much as possible. This sadism branches off from his own stress and emotions, and unhealthily takes it out on designated targets. He is prone to show this side when he is fighting alone. When drunk, Akimoto becomes very bold to the point where he verbosely lets out his inner feelings with hostility and pride. Background As an infant, Akimoto had Huntington's Disease (unlike his brother). Yearning for an outside life instead of being cared for in his house, Akimoto envied his twin brother, Juro, who was well enough to wander outside. Yet, he grew to detest him somewhat when Juro wasn't going about his way to enjoy his own freedom. Eventually, they managed to switch places to give Akimoto some opportunities to wander outside. It was then did he met Ren Iwasaki, who mistook him for Juro. The pair eventually became friends and they played often around District 79. Some years later, Akimoto developed enough Spiritual Pressure to inhibit his symptoms, and that was when he was able to go outside without any assistance with Juro tagging along. The boys would visit Ren often outside her dangerous district and played together. Eventually, Akimoto and Juro were involved in multiple gambling schemes as they racked scores of money from shady organizations. That all ended when Akimoto witnessed Ren being abused and raped in her home in District 80 by the very people he's swindled. Using his condition as an excuse to not rescue her, Akimoto conveniently slipped away, while Juro attempts to help her. That same night, Akimoto goes back to retrieve his brother. He finds an unconscious Juro in Ren's room and just as he was about to leave through the window, Ren chastises Akimoto for not helping her. She expressed her disdain and disappointment by stripping herself naked and pointing to all the scars and bruises on her body while telling him the stories behind each and every mark. The distraught Akimoto carried Juro and left with a pained expression. After some time, Akimoto forced himself to forget about seeing Ren's scars. Years later, Akimoto posed as Juro again in the Soul Reaper academy before begin whisked away towards the 12th Division for experimentation. As a result, an Aquamarine gem (Genseki) was implanted on the nape of his neck. The gem (along with other users) allows him to instantly change into Gigai form without using a Mod Soul. It also allows him to communicate with others across a distance as long as they have a Genseki. However, as an experiment, the gem makes it so that he is closely monitored. And that was the start of his immense guilt that's been with him throughout his experimentation as a subject of Project Genseki. Akimoto lived his days under intense training and modification along with the burden of regret that he has. Akimoto obtained Odoruningyō, who was fashioned by his guilt and regret. This made its appearance to largely resemble that of Ren's. As a result, it pained him everytime he would train with his Zanpakutou. Plot Lied Arc After being released into the open with other fellow Soul Reapers used in the Genseki Project, Akimoto Kazuma meets his fellow teammates for the first time: Kishoku Hyakuhasu, Xavier Shinji, and Kazuki Mitzumi. The rest of the members find themselves into teams and are soon ushered into a room to try out their Soul Reaper uniforms and clothes for their Gigai. Nemu briefs them with the Genseki functions. She then relays the each mission to the designated groups. Akimoto and co. then proceed out the Senkaimon and enter Berlin, where they must defeat hollows and perform konso as their first task. Akimoto and X took on their respective hollows while Kishoku and Kazuki teamed up against a larger one. While sustaining some injuries, Akimoto managed to defeat his hollow, but was poisoned by its noxious gas. Nevertheless, he performed konso on the already fallen souls before lending his assistance to X who was now fighting a hydra-like hollow after defeating his first hollow. Healing some of his own injuries, Akimoto manages to bind the hollow with Kuyō Shibari before succumbing to the effects of the poison. Feeble and blind, Akimoto left the rest for Xavier (X) to finish off. After their mission, the group retired to an inn, designated for Soul Reapers, for the night. Realizing that the four of them could not pay the inn keeper their soul reaper currency, Kishoku suggests that they all find part-time jobs in the meantime. Akimoto and Kazuki hit the casino and came back with pockets filled. Fully recovered after a few days, Kazuki jumpstarts a training exercise to utilize teamwork and formation between the four. Using AI Gigais, the four can then engage in light combat to test their synergy. As Akimoto gets into formation, he notices that the four AI Gigais were acting strangely, and were not acting as programmed. With synergy, each training dummy wore the soul reapers down but were eventually defeated and destroyed by the team's newfound teamwork. Akimoto and the rest departed from Berlin and back into Soul Society for the other members to rest from their wounds. Worrying about his family, Akimoto heads for Rukongai, but suddenly gets his Zanpukutou stolen from a soul reaper garbed in white. Akimoto makes haste and pursues the thief, who happens to be a member of the Kido Corps. After engaging in a small Kido battle, the thief flees the scene before encasing Odoruningyō in a Kido barrier. Realizing that it was a box strengthened with Bakudo no. 81: Danku, Akimoto casts a poor imitation of Hado no. 90: Kurohitsugi to break the barrier. After retrieving his Zanpakutou, Akimoto wonders what the rest of his teammates are up to. Resuming his destination to Rukongai, Akimoto is stopped by a message from a Hell Butterfly. Confrontation Arc Akimoto is then lead to two Kido Corps members keeping an eye of the Senkaimon. After asking what the members want from him, they suddenly whisk him away using Sentan Hakuja. Akimoto then finds himself in unfamiliar barracks and starts questioning the duo. In reply, one of them removes his mask and reveals himself to be Juro Kazuma, Akimoto's twin brother. Juro then says that Akimoto should quit being a Soul Reaper and an 'experiment' under the 12th Division so that the brothers can go home and rest easy while not putting themselves in danger. Akimoto snaps and rejects Juro's proposal, saying that he is happy where he is and that being a Soul Reaper has provided him an opportunity to learn and explore more about the Human World. Angered at Akimoto's answer, Juro pleads that Akimoto should join the Kido Corps instead, so that no harm may come to him when doing his duties as both a Soul Reaper and as an experiment. Akimoto remains stubborn with his decision and was eventually given leave. Akimoto then heads back to District 63 and meets with his mother and father after three years. They are joined by Juro, who comes to Akimoto leaving him a fair warning that 'a certain someone is waiting for your next move.' Heeding the warning, Akimoto leaves shortly to attend to a summons from his Genseki. The Soul Reaper moves out and meets up with the group for their next issued mission. Akimoto accompanies his teammates in another Hollow-slaying mission, but the group found the mission to be difficult as the number of hollows started to overwhelm the team. Eventually, two Menos Grande started to appear. Akimoto then succumbs to his wounds and falls in battle along with Kishoku, leaving X and Kazuki to finish the rest. After regaining his consciousnesses, Kazuki briefs Akimoto that Quincies were behind the hollow attack on the forest and tat the Genseki Project Soul Reapers are to await orders concerning the matter. Since Kazuki was being transferred to another group, the teammates say their goodbyes. The next day after setting up camp, Akimoto performs Jinzen and meets up with Odoruningyō. Akimoto finds himself yet again, bound by ropes and strings upon entrance to his Inner World. He appeases to Odoruningyō and gets released from his bonds. Akimoto seems to be bothered by the bonds, but nevertheless plays with Odoruningyō with some board games laid across a table. The two spar afterwards with Akimoto emerging as the victor. Satisfied, Akimioto leaves the Jinzen state, but is left to wonder just how long the good days are going to last. The following day, a man from the Project greets them and presents the three Soul Reapers an empty chamber where they can perform Jinzen and enter each other's Inner Worlds. Realizing that the purpose of the exercise was to understand the other in a personal level, Akimoto was not against it, but he felt uncomfortable with someone looking into his own Inner World. Akimoto performs Jinzen and finds himself not in his Inner World, but X's Inner World where an endless land of snow had a gust of cool winds rushing in the air. Akimoto sees an a dragon encased in ice with a white tiger laying on top of it. Akimoto communicates with the Zanpakutou spirit and learns more about Xavier Shinji. The tiger introduces itself as Koori Tora. Akimoto then finds out that it was X that eliminated the hollows with flames made from his Zanpakutou; however, the spirit notes that the flames had burned Kishoku and Kazuki in the process due to a lack of control over its wide trail. This power of X's Zanpakutou comes from Kasai Ryuu, the encased dragon, and Koori Tora laments that X's fear of using Kasai Ryuu since that incident has led him to deny Kasai Ryuu entirely. Blatantly showing some concern and discomfort with X's struggle, Akimoto is reminded of his own troubles with Odoruningyō. Camaraderie Arc As the trio wait for new orders, they all head out to a nearby carnival with their Gigai. Akimoto, being excited for this first-time experience, rode as many rides as he could. He then strikes conversations with Kishoku and X about culture in the Human World. The Hollowed Blue Arc * The group is assigned to Siberia, Russia to gather intel about the Blue Hollows and the Quincies stationed there. * The group meets new teammates: Nobunao Kosaka and Shinme Shokubutsu. * The group escapes from a Quincy attack, and they head back to the Soul Society. Atonement Arc * Akimoto reconciles with Ren. * Akimoto meets a new team member, Maka Kirofune. Bankai Experimentation Arc After meeting Maka, the group is ushered into a room with beds and equipment. A scientist named Torai and other fellow scientists tell the group that Captain Kurotsuchi, using notes from his predecessor, has developed a way for members of Project Genseki to obtain Bankai at a much faster rate. Torai explains that the process will be done by distancing the bond between Soul Reaper and Zanpakutou through the use of dreams and pain-inducing nightmares caused by her Zanpakutou. Reluctantly, Akimoto yields in despite the chances of severing his bond totally with Odoruningyō. Going to sleep, Akimoto starts to dream a forgotten memory (the memory of Ren showing Akimoto her scars). Seeing his memories from a third-person point-of-view, Akimoto starts following the events that eventually led up to him witnessing Ren's domestic and sexual abuse for the first time. Yelling at his younger self for running away, an uncomfortable Akimoto looks away with a look of despair and helplessness. Following that event, Akimoto notices that the memory continued beyond what he remembers. Seeing the young Akimoto barge into the brothel later that night to retrieve Juro, Akimoto curiously observes this forgotten memory. Finding an unconscious Juro, who tried to assist Ren, Akimoto attempts to bring him outside but was stopped by Ren. Ren scolds the young Akimoto with sad and harsh words with a serene tone. She strips herself of her nightdress and shows the young Akimoto all her scars as she tells him the stories behind each and every mark on her body. Akimoto, watching this memory for the first time, falls down to his knees and cries out to the younger Akimoto's replies to Ren. Akimoto wakes up from the vivid dream of his worst memories, and starts to doubt himself of Ren's forgiveness. He recalls recent past events with Juro touching Akimoto's forehead with glowing fingers. Akimoto thinks that Juro jogged Akimoto's memory and thinks that this is Ren's final test to see if he is ready to dwell out of his life sentence of guilt. In the next test, 'Ren' appears again in Akimoto's dream, but this time as a Soul Reaper. In the dream, she overhears Akimoto and Juro's conversation about the latter's shikai, and proceeds to drop down from a tree and scare Akimoto. She explains Juro's description of his Zanpakutou and chides Akimoto for not listening correctly. Akimoto reacts rudely and is expressively put off by the woman's passive imposing aura. The girl then tells Akimoto that she has been calling him for some time now, but Akimoto hasn't the slightest idea of what she is talking about. Somewhat disappointed, the girl proceeds to kill Juro, thus enraging the older twin. Failing to notice the change in scenery from the lake to the checker-tiled Inner World, Akimoto retaliates with ferocity, but was quickly disarmed after 'Ren' releases her Zanpakutou. Telling him to look around, Akimoto finally notices the change in his surroundings and is completely shocked. He looks around surprised at the demented checker-tiled location with towering shelves filled with clattering dolls. A headless mannequin lies limp where Juro was once sitting. Akimoto reacts with fright and wonders if this is all a dream. Annoyed at Akimoto's reaction, she scolds him much to his confusion. The girl activates her Bankai and continues to fight Akimoto, while inflicting wounds upon him at the exact same place as her scars. Akimoto eventually figures out the Bankai's power and proceeds to deal a lethal strike to the apparition's chest with great timing. As the apparition of Ren dies, the wounded Akimoto still doesn't have a clue of who she was. He crawls toward her and upon touching her body, he begins to feel the physical pain that Ren has endured during her abuse. Akimoto then spent what it felt like days in the dream being physically mangled and abused in the same manner as Ren's. The marks on her body began to show in his body as well, and after succumbing to the pain, Akimoto reaches for her hand before waking up in despair and into the real world. Feeling guilty that he had forgotten about Ren and his own Zanpakutou in a dream, Akimoto worries for the connection with his sword. After having sedatives calm his panic attack, Torai puts Akimoto yet into another dream in order to fix his mental state. Torai then instructs everyone to partake in Jinzen in order to assess the connection with their Zanpakutous. Reluctantly, Akimoto enters Jinzen with much difficulty, and meets an entity that does not look so similar to Odoruningyō, but to Ren. Wondering how could this be, Akimoto starts questioning the entity as to why she is nearly identical to Ren, save the hair color. Akimoto denies that resemblance as he musters out the courage to draw out his sword and prepare to engage with the woman in battle. The entity smiles saying that she looks exactly like Ren and lifts her white hair to reveal an incriminating mark on her neck. Failing to deny the resemblance, Akimoto falls down in anguish and drops his sword. Calling her "Odoruningyō," he pleads to the entity and tries to apologize but was suddenly incapacitated by the entity's attack. "Odoruningyō" then brandishes a scythe made from her Spirit Ribbons before laying waste to Akimoto's still-conscious body. Instead of waking up to reality, Akimoto wakes up again in his prone position in the Inner World. "Odoruningyo" repeats her lines and finishes him again with the scythe before bringing him back into the Inner World. Trapped in his Jinzen state, where the entity was not willing to let him escape, Akimoto grows more and more despondent each time. Realizing that his own selfish feelings of Ren has neglected the bond of his Zanpakutou, Akimoto wishes that he still has time to apologize to Odoruningyō properly. Examining Akimoto's continued discomfort and pain, the scientists physically separates Akimoto from his Zanpakutou to snap him out of the Jinzen state. Tired and relieved, Akimoto thanks the scientists and awaits for more instructions with the rest of his team. Torai calls the Soul Reapers to the center of the room and prompts them to sense their Spiritual Pressure. Doing so, everyone finds that their Spiritual Pressure was focusing unto one another's Zanpakutou with Akimoto's reacting to Shinme's. The group then reluctantly trades their Zanpakutous by Torai's command. Holding Shinme's Ryakudatsu Mori and handing out his Odoruningyō to Maka, the group then was instructed to enter Jinzen. As he enters Jinzen, Akimoto finds himself amid a very lush forest that is bathed in bright sunlight and garnered by various flora. The Zanpakutou spirit, Ryakudatsu Mori, introduces itself and suggests that Akimoto ought to play with it by using the Zanpakutou's power to create and control plantlife. Seeing this as a breather from Odoruningyō and an opportunity to have fun in an Inner World, Akimoto complies. He hastely mimics Shinme's movements to create a vine and then proceeds to climb it-- before falling back down on the grass. Ryakudatsu Mori then instructs Akimoto how to use its Zanpakutou properly, and Akimoto slowly starts to learn the technique. Concentration was absolutely necessary, but no matter how much he focused, the thoughts of Ren and Odoruningyō never seem to be cast aside. Thinking that this Inner World was to give him a moment of reprieve was wrong, for he learns that wherever he goes, he'll always bring the stress with him. He tells the Zanpakutou spirit of this struggle, and Mori responds by telling him about Shinme's past and how she was able to deal with her focus to wield her Zanpakutou correctly. Akimoto shows some sympathy and notices the parallel between Shinme's plight and Ren's. After thinking about Ren, Juro, and Kishoku's actions, Akimoto finds out that they would not want him to wallow in self-destruction. He thanks Ren and Juro's drastic actions that led him to confide and depend on his friends despite his own pride. He also thanks Kishoku for her willingness to help him. Akimoto then asserts to Mori that he will choose to live in the past so that he can become kind while depending on his own friends and partners to make him into a stronger person. He resumes training with Mori for a short while, until a peculiar large shrub catches his eye. Akimoto recognizes the flora to be a Blackthorn, and he becomes filled with nostalgia of his childhood along with the memories of the brothel that bears the same name. He performs Kyuuketsuki no Hana and creates a blackthorn familiar at Mori's approval. He then inquires about Shinme's past. Akimoto and Mori continue to talk as the former's thoughts dwindle back to Odoruningyō. Akimoto then wonders what has made Odoruningyō so angry at him. After leaving Shinme's Inner World, Akimoto is then ushered into a room for resting. Kishoku approaches him, and the two of them speak of their experiences in the Inner World. Later, the group is issued a mission to exterminate Hollows; however, each of them is unable to use their respective Zanpakutou and can only use the ones that were swapped. Akimoto enters the battle using Ryakudatsu Mori. *Akimoto obtains Bankai. Crusaders' Prelude Arc *Akimoto faces off against a Quincy and wins. *Akimoto learns of Chidarake Ningyō's true name and obtains his true Bankai. TIMESKIP (post winter war) ::Spoiler Warning: Spoiler details follow. ??? Arc *Due to Ren activating Hakuchou while Akimoto was fighting a foe, Akimoto lost momentary control over Odoruningyō, which led to his defeat and eventual death unbeknownst to Ren. Memoirs Arc Ren uses her Bankai's ability to use her life energy as a surrogate for Akimoto's dead body. Akimoto then awakens from death bearing the color of Ren's eyes and with no memory of his childhood friend. Memento Mori Arc After reading Juro's book, Akimoto rushes to Ren's grave. He then pulls out his Zanpakutou and attempts to stab himself to death. Being unconscious from the blood loss, Akimoto is pulled into the Inner World and encounters, Ren, who has become a Zanpakutou spirit sealed within his sword as a replacement for Odoruningyō. As he murmurs out her name, Ren smiles and says that he managed to remember, but her voice remains barely audible. She then tells Akimoto that if does not learn her 'other name,' then Akimoto will die along with Ren. She yells out her 'other name' for Akimoto to say her before she fades away along with Akimoto's own life. Dumbfounded as to why Ren is fading away, Akimoto grabs her and tries to listen to her muffled words. Ren's body flickers madly and their Inner World starts to collapse. Akimoto then manages to pick up Ren's words and calls out her Zanpakutou name. The Inner World then starts to build back together, and Ren's flickering existence solidifies once again with her words clear and completely audible. Ren then sends Akimoto back into the real world and meets up with a happy Juro, who is glad that his brother has his memories of Ren restored. Equipment *'Genseki': Like the other Soul Reapers experimented during the Genseki Project, Akimoto Kazuma has it implanted on the nape of his neck. The Genseki stone allows him to communicate with any other members by pressing it. He can also be given instructions by Captain Kurotsuchi, Nemu, or even other researchers in the Genseki Project. When twisting, the Genseki stone allows one to change into his or her Gigai form. The Genseki also intercepts the transfer of wounds obtained during Jinzen to manifest in reality. This allows the researchers to experiment with Bankai and the Inner World. *'Storage Ring': Given by one of the researchers, Akimoto can twist the gem on his ring to bring forth a small box that serves as a pocket dimension for storage. *'Explosive Bands': Akimoto possesses numerous bands and straps in his white coat. He also wraps a couple of them on the sheathe of his Zanpakutou. Upon removal, the bands explode; however, the ones that he acquired are more sensitive, hence their activation upon contact with water. This prompted Akimoto to give up on wearing the white coat entirely. Powers and Abilities : Akimoto is knowledgeable in many forms of Zanjutsu, but prefers the drawing stances such as Iaido and Battou-jutsu to prevent too much stress on his body. With his drawing stances, he is able to focus and seize as well as create opportunities to deliver fast and sure strikes. He has shown his prowess when outnumbered by minor Hollows by swiftly dealt with each of them one by one as they keep on coming. When performing Jinzen and entering his Inner World, his illness's symptoms do not take effect there, which prompts him to utilize his Zanjutsu skills and styles to his fullest capability. His Puppet Sword Control Shikai ability allows him to display his swordplay across a distance via gestures and deliberate movements, and any handicaps of close-quarter combat is greatly mitigated. Upon use of Last Session, Akimoto can fight without narrowing his style to Iaido. Weapons Expert: Akimoto's knowledge on weapon handling extends beyond that of the standard katana and is applicable to Odoruningyō's Sessions. With ease, he is able to handle bladed weapons of different lengths and weights. Being able to quickly adapt to the transitions between Sessions must be utilized to fully wield Odoruningyō to its highest potential. Despite this, Akimoto is still subject to symptoms of his illness, and is prone to flub his weapon handling in a way that wasn't intended. After being comfortable with Bunsan, Akimoto can adapt to the weights and flow of each Session he chooses to make smooth transitions between his weapon choices in mid-battle. Kido Master: Because of his modification and training in the Genseki Project, Akimoto is able to cast up to high-level Kido and Bakudo spells with ease. While they are not as destructive (due to his average Spiritual Pressure), he is able to cast without name and incantation (Eishōhaki) as far as the level 80 Hado spells and as far as the level 99 Bakudo spells as well. Akimoto can also weave out small barriers to plug his own open wounds in a fight. What prevents him from identifying himself as a master in Kido is his low Spiritual Pressure in comparison to the spells that he can cast. His higher level spells may even be equal in power to his mid-level spells because of that. Like his other teammates and colleagues of the Genseki Project, Akimoto has created his own signature Kido. His innate talents in Kido do not lie with Eishōhaki and his ability to cast high-leveled spells, but with his ability to use Shisō Eishō or rather, 'thought cast' (思想詠唱, thought incantation). This allows Akimoto to recite Kido spells by thought instead of speech and makes him able to surprise opponents and give him the small window to strike. However, the power is severely decreased in comparison to casting by name. Akimoto can recite spells even when engaged in battle. It is noted that his ability to thought cast will degrade over time as the cognitive symptoms of his illness gradually worsen as he ages. *'Bunsan' (分散, Disperse): Akimoto has very great proficiency in the use of Bakudo no. 8: Seki that he is able to modify the spell into his own special Bakudo spell, called Bunsan. The technique allows Akimoto to temporarily and completely remove gravity's hold on the target, causing it to be sent skyward according to the trajectory of the repulsion from Seki. Gravity's influence will instantly return after a few seconds. Akimoto has also modified Bunsan even further by removing a chosen amount gravity's influence. By keeping heavy objects at a lighter weight, Akimoto can make up for his somewhat average Reiryoku and can also handle the weights of his weapons when transitioning between Odoruningyō's Sessions. *'Kuroibara' (黒いばら, Blackthorn): Akimoto has also made his poor attempt at Hado no. 90: Kurohitsugi to be applicable. Now called Kuroibara, Akimoto can weave out a black and edged mass of energy in a straight line by slashing the air with his sword or his finger. The projected mass materializes within a desired space and direction in accordance to the motion made. The destructive spell cuts those in its path before fading after a few seconds. The trail lingers, which can cause harm to all that make contact with it directly. Keen Intellect: Akimoto has used innovative forms of his Kido spells along with his strategies to take down foes. He is able to plan out and take advantage of enemy attack patterns by feigning the strength of his own power in mid-battle. This was apparent in his escape back into Soul Society when he and other Genseki Project members were pursued by Quincies that were interested in their Genseki. His knowledge on Kido aids him strongly in his battles, as he uses them with well-intended purpose that isn't necessarily meant to harm his opponent-- making him a competent innovator in battle to take his opponent by surprise. By surprising his opponent, he can learn more about their fighting style and adapt accordingly with a faulty-looking guise. He has also discerned the movement and path of the fake Ren's illusionary movement by judging the distance between the after-images. He uses this discovery to predict and land a fatal strike to her. However, his analysis often-times leaves him very open in battle. Shunpo Practitioner: He has been seen using Shunpo very frequently to close distances for his attacks. However, his speed cannot be reliable due to his illness. He reflects that he also cannot maintain high-speed combat for long, because it is easy for him to mess up and leave himself open to attack. When performing Jinzen, his illness is not expressed in his Inner World, so Akimoto is able to utilize Shunpo to his fullest capability. As a practitioner of sword drawing, he incorporates Shunpo with his strikes. Enhanced Durability: Being one of the many products of experimentation from the Project, Akimoto has some degree of durability and a high pain tolerance partly due to artificial means. Kishoku was surprised that Akimoto was still standing despite casting Bakudo no. 99: Kin. Average Spiritual Power: While his Reiryoku is nothing to boast about in comparison with his other Project Genseki comrades, Akimoto control of it is fine-tuned and allows him to cast a plethora of Kido spells. His rather low amount of Reiryoku, however, means that his spells lack power, especially for the higher-leveled spells. His control is immense, and is able to mold Kishoku's immense Reiatsu into his own in order to power up a Kido spell after 'tagging' her with 1st Session. This exhausts him, especially. It is also noted that Akimoto is able to use his own Reiatsu to keep himself from experiencing the physical symptoms of his disease. Should his Reiatsu plummet, then he succumbs to the symptoms more frequently-- which is why he refrains from raising his Spiritual Pressure. Zanpakutou Odoruningyō (おど.る人形, Dancing Doll): A keen edged katana that is straighter than the most. Its guard has a what it looks like to be a puppet master's handle when controlling a marrionette. *'Shikai': Release command is "Perform". The tsuba on his sword glows blue before splitting off and turning into an identical sword of the blade that it split from. Blue diamond markings on the palms of his hands glow upon releasing Shikai. :Shikai Special Ability: Odoruningyō is a Kido-typed Zanpakutou and grants the user multiple techniques. These techniques are collectively known as Sessions (衣鉢, Ihatsu): and any more considerable bonding will allow the user to learn more Sessions from Odoruningyō; however, one must be skilled in different weapon classes in order to use them effectively. The Sessions, depending on number class, grants the user a desired weapon that may have other abilities. All Sessions have the innate ability called Puppet Sword Control (操りつるぎ, Ayatsuri Tsurugi), which allows the user to control them individually by gestures of his or her hands, arms, and even legs. One can only control up to two weapons this way for as long as the markings on the palms remain undisturbed. The diamonds also grants the user to recall the weapons back into his hands regardless of distance and place at an instant. One must be proficient in a type of weapon class in order to control the corresponding Session remotely through Puppet Sword Control. The short delay of calling back the weapons to his hands shortens as Akimoto increases his weapon proficiency. :*'Intermission' (幕あい, Makuai): The standard two blades of Odoruningyō. Akimoto must use Intermission in between different Sessions. The user does not have to be proficient in swords to manipulate them. :*'1st Session' (一番目衣鉢, Ichibanme Ihatsu): It is a Session that is learned through the user's proficiency with chakrams. Any one of the blades turns into a large blue-bladed chakram that resembles a puppeteer's handles. Kido Spells can be fired from the center of the rings due to the link between the weapons and his palms. These chakrams are also remotely controlled using his Puppet Sword Control ability. Akimoto can also 'tag' another person by clasping hands together with the person and allow the other to perform one Kido spell through a chakram's center. :*'2nd Session' (二番目衣鉢, Nibanme Ihatsu): (Witnessed) It is a Session that is learned through the user's proficiency with knives. The blades are tossed upwards into the sky and splits into ten knives that jut downwards. The opponent's Spirit Ribbons become tethered to the knives' handles, which prevents some degree of movement. The goal of 2nd Session is to attack with the knives while sealing the opponent's movement in the process, but Akimoto's lack of mastery over Hoho can potentially make this rather difficult, especially with Huntington's Disease. It is unknown whether or not he is able to perform 2nd Session or whether or not he is proficient with a knife. :*'Last Session' (最後衣鉢, Saigo Ihatsu): One blade turns into a very large chakram that causes the user's Spirit Ribbons to condense and attach to it. The ring floats above the user's head, and it serves as a mechanism to suture lost limbs and prevent the body from falling apart. Akimoto can also have Odoruningyō partially hijack his body and allow her to fight for him for as long as he maintains a conscious state. After use, Odoruningyō reverts back into its sealed form and is unable to be released for some time. Bankai: Chidarake Ningyō (血だらけ人形, Blood-stained Doll): The two individual Session weapons warp within the user's grasp. They flash a white light that gradually fades into a mad red. The glowing weapons are then combined to form a black jagged scythe. Akimoto's eyes then turn red. :Bankai Special Ability: Whenever the scythe cuts a Spirit Ribbon, a laceration is made on the root to where it was attached. The stronger the swing, the deeper the laceration. This allows Akimoto to cut down opponents and deal lethal wounds without having the blade make contact with its target. It is noted that Akimoto can also harm himself in this way if he accidentally cuts down his Spirit Ribbons; however this drawback in using the Bankai is mitigated when Akimoto focuses on visualizing his opponent's Spirit Ribbon instead of accidentally visualizing his own. Should the enemy catch unto this weakness, the enemy can visualize Akimoto's own Spirit Ribbons for him to accidentally cut. The Bankai also allows him to freely control and manipulate Spirit Ribbons, allowing him to slow his opponents and to pull and tug them around within his reach. He can also use his own Spirit Ribbons as puppet strings to aid in his movements and strength to a small extent. Because Akimoto is not proficient with scythes, he cannot control the scythe from afar using Puppet Sword Control. ::Spoiler Warning: Spoiler details follow. Kurenaikoushi (紅格子, Deep Red Lattice): Its sealed-form is Akimoto's Zanpakutou-- the same Zanpakutou that housed the spirit of Odoruningyō prior to Akimoto's death. Following his revival, Kurenaikoushi houses this exact same katana. *'Shikai': Its release command is "Celebrate" '''(祝, Iwa). The katana glows red and unwinds into a red thread. The long thread then coils and forms into a pair of red gloves. :Shikai Special Ability: Kurenaikoushi is a Kido-type Zanpakutou that specializes in the manipulation and control of the user's Spirit Ribbons to form weapons. By weaving out imaginary strings as if playing with a cat's cradle, Akimoto can form structures with his Spirit Ribbons relating to the shapes he gestures. Such structures range from stringed and laced barriers to swords and spears made from condensed Spirit Ribbons. The Spirit Ribbons can also condense into finer tougher strings that can cut and bind. The color of the strings can also be manipulated in order to deceive. From this, he can make a Spirit Ribbon copy of himself and manipulate it from afar like a puppet using Spirit Ribbons as the strings. By using Reiatsu, he can harden his structures to be as durable and sharp. When creating new structures manually, Akimoto must give them a name and 'preset' them into strict and carefully made gestures that attribute to the new structure. He must create or invent a structure and then 'preset' it into a technique. The numerous amounts of techniques to be learned are as boundless as far as his imagination goes. Negligence of techniques and abilities will make it harder for him to perform those specifically, and he must create and preset them from scratch. Because of this, recreating a 'forgotten' ability will always never be the same as the original. Kurenaikoushi can also invent new techniques independent of Akimoto's and vice-versa. Therefore, they must teach each other their techniques in order for the techniques to be used. '''Bankai: Tankyuusha no Kurenaishi (探求者の紅糸, Seeker of the Red String): The gloves and remnant Spirit Ribbons gather and form into a single red-edged katana laced with black on the blunt side of the blade. Tankyuusha no Kurenaishi still takes on the appearance of the Shikai's spirit manifestation, but with red eyes and scars on her body. :Bankai Special Ability: Whenever the blade cuts a Spirit Ribbon, a laceration is made on the root to where it was attached. The stronger the cut, the deeper the laceration. This allows Akimoto to cut opponents down even when he misses his mark. This ability exactly like that of Odoruningyō's '12th Session' and shares the same weakness where he must be wary not to cut his own Spirit Ribbons. In addition to the laceration being made, the sliced Spirit Ribbon is absorbed into the blade and allows the wielder to accurately discern the target's location regardless of the distance and dimension. Kurenaikoushi mentions to Akimoto that this pays homage to the idea of the 'Red String of Fate' somewhat, for it ensures that the 'seeker' is destined to find 'the one' regardless of circumstance. Kurenaikoushi attributes her Bankai ability to her wish with the Kazuma twins that promises of their destined reunion from time to time. Stats Stats (with Shikai) Stats (with Bankai - Chidarake Ningyō) Stats (without Huntington's Disease) Relationships Juro Kazuma Although he does not show it, Akimoto cares for his younger twin brother deeply and confides in him with all his hopes, dreams, and worries for the future. He finds his brother's deadpan, cheery, and airy attitude to life to be very very annoying, but believes that everyone finds those traits to be attractive. Akimoto 'switches' personalities with his brother often so that Akimoto can go outside as a child despite having HD. Juro was also Akimoto's partner in gambling during their childhood years. They still remain close as brothers in the years after both become Soul Reapers. Renai Iwasaki It was through Akimoto's act of posing as Juro did he first meet Ren. Finding her to be an odd girl, Akimoto was somewhat fascinated by her behavior. Like Juro, Akimoto puts his trust into Ren very well. He always enjoyed her stories of the World of the Living and the numerous texts written in the human realm. It was she, that got Akimoto interested in the human world in the first place. He is also very protective of Ren, and harbors the guilt of neglecting her in the past that led to her eventual abuse and rape. The two reconciled a few weeks after Akimoto's release from the Genseki training. In atonement for his past decisions, Akimoto gladly lives his life accordingly for her sake. Ren pardons Akimoto's sins against her and schemes to make Akimoto into a more developed, mature, and kind man. She used her Bankai's ability to revive Akimoto and killing herself in the process. Now that Ren serves as Kurenaikoushi and has become the manifestation of Akimoto's Zanpakutou, their dynamic has changed drastically and turned for the better. She ceases her self-sacrificial ways and now caters to improve Akimoto's skills as a Soul Reaper. Their relationship transcends beyond a partnership, and since the two were childhood friends, they remain close as ever. Akimoto accepts Ren's feelings, and he forms an inseparable and chaste union with her. Odoruningyō Having obtained Shikai, one would think that Akimoto is close to his Zanpakutou. While this is true to some extent, Akimoto's initial bond with Odoruningyō is one that is based on his own regret and guilt. By having his Zanpakutou spirit take on a resemblance to Ren, Akimoto is constantly reminded of Ren and his memories of her start to resurface. He cannot forget. Odoruningyō on the other hand, is aware of this effect and observes that while she can work with Akimoto efficiently, the close bond and openness between the Soul Reaper/Zanpakutou pair is rather shallow. Odoruningyō also feels that her identity as a spirit is degraded into Akimoto's thoughts and regrets of Ren, thus stopping the Soul Reaper/Zanpakutou bond from progressing any further. Both are not willing to address the larger issues between them, but eventually, Odoruningyō calls Akimoto out on it and urges him to be brave and reconcile with Ren in order to put away his emotional stress. After reconciling with Ren, Akimoto feels that he has gotten a lot closer to Odoruningyō and hopes that he can see her as his sword and not as Ren. However, this harmony did not last during the events of the Bankai Experimentation Arc. As Akimoto starts to remember the memory of Ren showing him her scars and insulting his character, Akimoto and Odoruningyō's bond is in the brink of destruction; and both of them are desperately trying to make amends. Eventually, Akimoto learns of his Bankai's true name, Orochidarake Ningyō, which gave proof of a restored and secured bond. Kishoku Hyakuhasu Kishoku is one of the first fellow Genseki 'experiments' that he's encountered, and he was easily captivated by her strong will-- something that Akimoto lacks and is something that made him guilty over the span of many years. To Akimoto, Kishoku is a close friend and comrade that also knows direct knowledge of the human world, since she was born in the World of the Living. He has encouraged her over own issues of self-doubt by pointing out that she is in fact a lot stronger than she thinks she is. They remain close friends even since Akimoto's 'personality change.' Kishoku is now one of the few people that he's shown his true personality to. When training for Bankai, he mentally thanks her for never leaving his side when he went to reconcile with Ren. Because of her, Akimoto is comfortable to depend on others when things get too much for him. Xavier Shinji X is a fellow teammate of Akimoto's, and along with Kishoku, is one of the first colleagues he met. Akimoto looks up to X's wisdom and respects X's achievements. Like Kishoku, X was born in the human world, and is also subject to curious questioning by Akimoto. The two have saved each other numerous times in battle, and this has formed a strong camaraderie between the two of them. He finds the older-looking man to be very reliable. Despite this, Akimoto still isn't willing to ask him (or Kishoku) for help. Kazuki Mitzumi Although Kazuki's stay with the initial group lasted less than two weeks, Akimoto has formed a considerable and friendly bond with Kazuki. He gladly accepted and understood Kazuki intuitively, and even had him confide in Akimoto, even to support his advances toward Kishoku. He saw Kazuki as an equal and a friend. He even puts up with Kazuki's brooding, which is a side that no one else sees. Shinme Shokubutsu His encounter with this new teammate left Akimoto with a very sour expression that he was afraid that Shinme would eventually bring out his the darkness of his personality. Nevertheless, he understands the meanings behind her mischievous acts and respects her somewhat. But he still puts his guard up for 'women like her.' He also mentally notes that Shinme's mischievousness is also reminiscent of Ren's, but Shinme's is a lot harder to deal with. Putting up with Shinme makes Akimoto tired. Despite his annoyance, he isn't above of showing compassion towards her. After learning more about her past from Mori, Akimoto is able to sympathize with her and does not see her plight as different from Ren's. Nobunao Kosaka Akimoto was initially intimidated by the older man, but grew comfortable with his presence due to him 'attempting' to keep Shinme's attention away. They have not talked much at all outside of work, but Akimoto finds Nobunao's relationship with Shinme somewhat interesting. After learning about Shinme's past from Mori, Akimoto is able to understand how Nobunao was a positive involvement for her. Akimoto feels encouraged that he can too can learn to live for the sake of his dear friends in such a way that does not add to his own self-destruction. Maka Kirofune A new teammate added to the group. Akimoto finds her 'type of loyalty' to be strange. He gets along with her and can empathize with her strained relationship with her Zanpakutou. In her first fight against Hollows with the group, Akimoto advised Maka on how to utilize Odoruningyō. The two had managed to work efficiently together despite fighting straightly with impulse. Trivia *Akimoto loves tea and milkshakes. He does not like dried vegetables. *His favorite color is red. *Akimoto and Juro share the same voice actor, which shouldn't be surprising. *According to Reversereality, Akimoto's theme song is If I Sit Still, Maybe I'll Get Out of Here by This Town Needs Guns. *According to Reversereality, the revived Akimoto's theme song is Ruby Eyes by Tommy heavenly6. In a sense, this makes it Renai's (or Kurenaikoushi's) theme song as well. *Akimoto has a sexual fetish for long hair much to his annoyance. This is what prompts Ren to grow out her hair before meeting him in the Atonement Arc. *The two kanji for Akimoto, Aki (秋) and Moto (元) mean 'autumn' and 'origin' respectively. Kazuma (かずま)translates to 'True Harmony'. The phrase 'true harmony' is somewhat ironic for Akimoto, because his bond with Odoruningyō and Renai Iwasaki are not harmonious at all. However, it is something that all three strive for in each other. *The kimono that Akimoto made Kishoku wear resembled that of autumn leaves, which partly refers to kanji Aki (秋) in his name. *His signature Kido spell, Kuroibara, is translated as Blackthorn. Blackthorn is also the name of the brothel that Renai Iwasaki used to work in. *His base stat total matches that of Renai Iwasaki's in almost all categories. The other category is shared with Juro Kazuma. *If Akimoto does not have Huntington's Disease (is inside an Inner World) his base stat total matches that of Juro Kazuma's. *Akimoto shares the same base stat total with that of Ren's and Juro's under Shikai and Bankai, with the exception of Kokuchou. *He and Ren's respective eye colors are swapped after their 'deaths.' The scar on Ren's nape also appears on Akimoto's (where his Genseki is located). Quotes *(To Juro Kazuma about Mayuri Kurotuschi) "He gave me purpose! What can a person with my illness do in Rukongai?! Why isn't it wrong to have a purpose! I just want to feel what it's like to be.... human." *(Angrily to Kishoku Hyakuhasu) "You're doing it again. Why do you do things that you just cannot do? Doing something as reckless as that will endanger not only us but yourself as well! That part of you really ticks me off!" *(To Odoruningyō about Ren) "...N-no..! How can I do something like that! It's too late for me to face her... Just leave me be." *(To Renai Iwasaki about romance) "But it still has nothing to do with me. I don't get why romance got to do with that when I ''could still exist unintentionally as an accident or something."'' *(To Maka Kirofune) "Going into my Inner World is like looking into my soul. It ain't something that you want to look at..." *(Akimoto's internal monologue about Renai) "If I were given the choice between past and future, I would choose the past so it can make me kind rather than strong. Therefore, I will not forget. And with blood-stained hands and a sickly body, I will carry the past with me. As long as she always smiles, then my kindness will always find her." *(To Ryakudatsu Mori) "I'll choose the past so that I can be kind rather than strong. But that won't make me weak. Because my partners will be my sword!" Behind the Scenes *Akimoto's creation was for Project Genseki in the Role Playing and Fanfiction Board in GameFaqs. *Hiro Shimono would voice Akimoto's Japanese dub. Aaron Dismuke would voice his English dub. *The author wanted to depict a sickly character in the world of Bleach, and thus and on a whim, Akimoto Kazuma was created. As the character started growing, the author decided to write up more on his back story. *The characters from Kagerou Project (mainly the characters Shintaro Kisaragi and Ayano Tateyama) partly inspired the creation of Akimoto's back story. *Akimoto Kazuma's displayed quote refers to and is inspired from Radwimps's song "Order Made." Category:Reversereality Category:Soul Reaper Category:Shinigami Category:12th Division Category:Character Category:Characters